Lyme Life Monday ~Whack-a-Mole

Have you ever seen the game, Whack-a-Mole? It is the size of a foosball table with jack-in-the-box action of furry creatures that pop up in random fashion. The goal is to hit them with an oversized rubber mallet. They pop up, but just as quickly drop away, making them elusive. They quickly pop and drop as the player tries to hit them for points.

Whack-a-Mole Symptoms

Lyme, similarly, has a myriad of symptoms that pop up and just as quickly my duck back out of sight. It may be fever and chills. Then, painful swollen joints. It could be heart palpitations. You might have debilitating fatigue. Muscle and joint pain move from feet to hands to back to our jaw. Headaches change characteristics. There might be times when you cannot climb a flight of stairs, but two hours later you can!

Sitting perfectly still might help one day, but the next you cannot do anything to quell the pain. Writhing all day and constantly shifting positions may make you feel exhausted, but sleep is no more than scheduled naps. Interrupted dozing and changing clothing or even bedding because of the drenching night sweats.

Medicines that help one aspect may exacerbate another. Antibiotics to kill the infections often have side effects or cause other problems and infections. Herbal remedies are not without risks either. Many of those have a strong impact for good and bad.

All this causes mental anguish. As distressing as the physical symptoms are, they have no defined scope. There’s no way to tell what will work from day to day. The medications cost ridiculous amounts of money and most Lyme sufferers either cannot work or work limited amounts. So, the bills pile up. The financial strain when it comes time to pay the bills is overwhelming to most people.

Challenges Complicated

Many people suffer from brain fog. The inability to think clearly, process information, and remember how to do things or even what happened five minutes ago. Sensory problems are common too. Vision and hearing disturbances, sensitivity to smells, and ultrasensitive skin make daily life a maze of coping. Whack-a-mole of thinking and comprehension.

The losses are significant. I haven’t had a working oven for five months. In order to stay ahead of the regular bills, I put off buying a new stove. Anything that is not essential can wait. I know other Lymies with similar situations or worse. They go without needed items. Many cannot even pay for meds.

The social impact is harsh. Suffering from all the physical symptoms makes it hard to go out. Scheduling events or plans is actually scary. Anxiety and sound and light sensitivity compound the isolation. Even having company at home is often a real challenge. Being unable to keep the home presentable causes many people to avoid entertaining.

Greif over the loss of career, relationships, and abilities is nearly constant and there is no end in sight. The constant instability produces a frightening prospect. Do we fight to get our lives back or settle into a new existence?

The Deep Pit

I pushed through for as long as I can remember. Pain has always been a part of my life. When I got diagnosed, I thought there would be a chance to get better. Better is a relative term, right? For me, better means being able to do the things I used to do. Even without the hope of doing them without pain, I still hope.

Healing Scriptures and stretches and scales are helping me to cope. Social media has been mostly good, although sometimes it causes more grief, especially when reading stories of others suffering and dying from Lyme.

Let us encourage one another and keep sharing what works. Let’s warn people about Lyme Disease’s whack-a-mole character. Moreover, may we keep fighting to live our lives in the service of the Great King to the glory of God.

Keep your mallet in hand and please don’t give up. Reach out for help when you need it and reach out to offer it when you can.